http://american.com/archive/2010/march/are-some-races-more-equal-than-others
Abigail Thernstrom and Tim Fay: How will the Obama administration respond to a formal complaint in the wake of serious black-on-Asian violence at South Philadelphia High School?
The DOJ’s new education section chief, steeped in NAACP-LDF culture, may also avert her gaze from the Asian victims of black mobs in an overwhelmingly black school. The LDF, on its website, has an education agenda. It lists only three concerns. The first two are protecting racial preferences and fighting for increased racial integration in schools—i.e., racially balanced school populations through quotas, if necessary. The third is described as the “school to prison pipeline,” which an undated, but clearly recent report calls “one of the most urgent challenges in education today.”
Why is it that Asian-American students are only half as likely as whites to be suspended or expelled from school?The report describes “the punitive and overzealous tools and approaches of the modern criminal justice system [as having] seeped into our schools, serving to remove children from mainstream educational environments and funnel them onto a one-way path toward prison.” Black students, it notes, represent only 17 percent of public school enrollments nationwide, but account for 34 percent of suspensions. “Moreover, studies show that African-American students are far more likely than their white peers to be suspended, expelled, or arrested for the same kind of conduct at school.”
Evidently, it is beyond imagination that disparities in school discipline reflect disparities in the conduct that merits discipline. Why is it that Asian-American students are only half as likely as whites to be suspended or expelled from school? Does this reveal the powerful anti-white biases of our largely white teaching force today? And does it reveal anti-black hostility on the part of black administrators and teachers when they discipline disproportionately high numbers of black students?
Blog on Asian American, education, cars, politics, videos, and anything else fun I run across.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Crazy Asian American Dad Sees Barely Exceeds Standard on WASL Test
Originally printed in Asian Week Dec 7, 2006
Crazy Asian American Dad Sees Barely Exceeds Standard
My kid’s teacher showed me Huang Yixin and Wei Wei doing their 2 Chinese boys routine. They’re from the the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. I just checked Google Video, and the Backstreet Boys “I Want it That Way” was the number 9th most viewed of time, and 14,000 views last week. A friend of my boys showed me Eric Liang’s “Crazy Asian Mother”. A boy poses as his mother who likes A's in AP calculus and Windows programming, but goes postal at the B + in English. 4 million views is astounding. It’s about as many as paid to watch Flushed Away last weekend. It has spawned many “tributes”, some by kids who aren't even Asian.
Asian American Dad Sees Barely Exceeds Standard
OR...
Sees 500 on SAT Critical Reading
OR...
See 81 on Driving Test
My turn. Let's see your Washington State assessment results. Reading, exceeds standard, good. Math, exceeds, that's also good. Science. You BARELY exceeded the standard!
Yes, the WASL was created by idiots. Our Superintendent of Public Instruction, Terry “new paradigm” Bergeson, should be burned at the stake for this abomination. Its just like that POS Crap Plus Mathematics Project homework.
But that’s no excuse. Do you think barely exceeds is going to get you into Harvard? Your Yeh-yeh walked halfway across China to college dodging Japanese bombs. Classes were finished, but he still aced the finals. Grandma caught the last plane out of Shanghai. She raised two including me while she finished her degree.
Uncle Jason got written up in Readers Digest for his school record. Your mother escaped from Vietnam in a sinking boat looking out for pirates. She paid her own way through college on restaurant tips for THIS?
We were the first Chinese in Renton before the Great Wall Mall. We were that family in the paper where everybody played violin. I had to walk a mile in the rain and frost to school taunted by kids who called us Japs or worse. Even though we went to crummy Renton schools, we got into the Seattle Youth Symphony and all went to MIT or Stanford. I took the flying Pinto, the DC-10 to get to college. Do you think Amy Tan made this stuff up? Your departed Yeh yeh made promise you wouldn't end up at some state school like the University of Washington!
If I wasn’t born in the USA, your fanny would really be sore now. The Xbox 360 is out. Your cello practice is going to be upped to 2 hours for the next week. I don’t care if they give you 3 hours of homework now or that I watched Star Trek reruns after school. They’ve raised the bar and times have changed. Now go out, have fun, and remember that we’re really proud of you.
Asians take over the YouTube and Google Video.
I’ll bet your TV is receiving only black and white people right now. Now search for “Colors of the wind” from Pocahontas on YouTube.com. There's Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Thai, Icelandic, Hebrew, French Canadian(why?) and Slovak. Wow man, it's a jukebox that doesn ‘t need a quarter. Type in any song title. You’ll probably find the official video, a bootleg concert, and versions done with The Sims (Mandy), Guild Wars (Thriller) , Harry Potter (I Enjoy Being a Girl), Lego Monty Python’s sketches, and even airplane crashes (Live and Let Die, oops, that’s already been taken down as inappropriate). You need to check this out before the lawyers figure out how stop this misuse of copyrighted stuff.
I had never heard of songbird Regina Velasquez or even seen Tagalog beforeYouTube. Fans say she sings better than Celine Dione, and she speaks English better too. There are Korean guys who put American Idols to shame, yet William Hung is the only Asian singer most Americans can name. “I Enjoy Being a Girl" by Pat Suzuki is the only Asian American hit single most Americans have actually heard. The movie version of Flower Drum song is finally to reappear on DVD after being sent to Siberia for political incorrectness and ethnic stereotyping. “Violin” brings up Vanessa Mae as a hot chick on the violin. There are astounding 5 yr old and 15 yr old violin demos, both by Asian girls.
My videos
My own videos have started from 20 views a day this spring from my son’s submarine project. With the help of Shamu lunging at birds on our vacation trip, it was up to 2,500 a day last week on both video sites, about 25,000 total. Now if I can only figure out how to sell out to Google for 1.6B like the Chinese guy who co-founded YouTube. Search for PT-109 or New Hope International (my church). It’s amazing the junk people will watch that takes 2 minutes to film with no skill.
Update - As of 2010, channel biukucanoe on Youtube has logged 1.5 million views, plus 1.2 million views on the original channel.
Crazy Asian American Dad Sees Barely Exceeds Standard
My kid’s teacher showed me Huang Yixin and Wei Wei doing their 2 Chinese boys routine. They’re from the the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. I just checked Google Video, and the Backstreet Boys “I Want it That Way” was the number 9th most viewed of time, and 14,000 views last week. A friend of my boys showed me Eric Liang’s “Crazy Asian Mother”. A boy poses as his mother who likes A's in AP calculus and Windows programming, but goes postal at the B + in English. 4 million views is astounding. It’s about as many as paid to watch Flushed Away last weekend. It has spawned many “tributes”, some by kids who aren't even Asian.
Asian American Dad Sees Barely Exceeds Standard
OR...
Sees 500 on SAT Critical Reading
OR...
See 81 on Driving Test
My turn. Let's see your Washington State assessment results. Reading, exceeds standard, good. Math, exceeds, that's also good. Science. You BARELY exceeded the standard!
Yes, the WASL was created by idiots. Our Superintendent of Public Instruction, Terry “new paradigm” Bergeson, should be burned at the stake for this abomination. Its just like that POS Crap Plus Mathematics Project homework.
But that’s no excuse. Do you think barely exceeds is going to get you into Harvard? Your Yeh-yeh walked halfway across China to college dodging Japanese bombs. Classes were finished, but he still aced the finals. Grandma caught the last plane out of Shanghai. She raised two including me while she finished her degree.
Uncle Jason got written up in Readers Digest for his school record. Your mother escaped from Vietnam in a sinking boat looking out for pirates. She paid her own way through college on restaurant tips for THIS?
We were the first Chinese in Renton before the Great Wall Mall. We were that family in the paper where everybody played violin. I had to walk a mile in the rain and frost to school taunted by kids who called us Japs or worse. Even though we went to crummy Renton schools, we got into the Seattle Youth Symphony and all went to MIT or Stanford. I took the flying Pinto, the DC-10 to get to college. Do you think Amy Tan made this stuff up? Your departed Yeh yeh made promise you wouldn't end up at some state school like the University of Washington!
If I wasn’t born in the USA, your fanny would really be sore now. The Xbox 360 is out. Your cello practice is going to be upped to 2 hours for the next week. I don’t care if they give you 3 hours of homework now or that I watched Star Trek reruns after school. They’ve raised the bar and times have changed. Now go out, have fun, and remember that we’re really proud of you.
Asians take over the YouTube and Google Video.
I’ll bet your TV is receiving only black and white people right now. Now search for “Colors of the wind” from Pocahontas on YouTube.com. There's Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Thai, Icelandic, Hebrew, French Canadian(why?) and Slovak. Wow man, it's a jukebox that doesn ‘t need a quarter. Type in any song title. You’ll probably find the official video, a bootleg concert, and versions done with The Sims (Mandy), Guild Wars (Thriller) , Harry Potter (I Enjoy Being a Girl), Lego Monty Python’s sketches, and even airplane crashes (Live and Let Die, oops, that’s already been taken down as inappropriate). You need to check this out before the lawyers figure out how stop this misuse of copyrighted stuff.
I had never heard of songbird Regina Velasquez or even seen Tagalog beforeYouTube. Fans say she sings better than Celine Dione, and she speaks English better too. There are Korean guys who put American Idols to shame, yet William Hung is the only Asian singer most Americans can name. “I Enjoy Being a Girl" by Pat Suzuki is the only Asian American hit single most Americans have actually heard. The movie version of Flower Drum song is finally to reappear on DVD after being sent to Siberia for political incorrectness and ethnic stereotyping. “Violin” brings up Vanessa Mae as a hot chick on the violin. There are astounding 5 yr old and 15 yr old violin demos, both by Asian girls.
My videos
My own videos have started from 20 views a day this spring from my son’s submarine project. With the help of Shamu lunging at birds on our vacation trip, it was up to 2,500 a day last week on both video sites, about 25,000 total. Now if I can only figure out how to sell out to Google for 1.6B like the Chinese guy who co-founded YouTube. Search for PT-109 or New Hope International (my church). It’s amazing the junk people will watch that takes 2 minutes to film with no skill.
Update - As of 2010, channel biukucanoe on Youtube has logged 1.5 million views, plus 1.2 million views on the original channel.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Top 20 replies by Programmers to Testers when their programs don't work
This was posted by Sachin Mistry Senior Software Engineer at Bank of America
Top 20 replies by Programmers to Testers when their programs don't work:-)
20. "That's weird..."
19. "It's never done that before."
18. "It worked yesterday."
17. "How is that possible?"
16. "It must be a hardware problem."
15. "What did you type in wrong to get it to crash?"
14. "There is something funky in your data."
13. "I haven't touched that module in weeks!"
12. "You must have the wrong version."
11. "It's just some unlucky coincidence."
10. "I can't test everything!"
9. "THIS can't be the source of THAT."
8. "It works, but it hasn't been tested."
7. "Somebody must have changed my code."
6. "Did you check for a virus on your system?"
5. "Even though it doesn't work, how does it feel?
4. "You can't use that version on your system."
3. "Why do you want to do it that way?"
2. "Where were you when the program blew up?"
1. "It works on my machine"
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
education for sustainable development
education for sustainable development
publicly viewable at: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dfthx7q4_2476g7jshhd9
Gag me with a spoon. This is what "education for sustainable development" as promoted by the UN and Internatinoal Baccalaureate program, indoctrination into birth control global
4>> esd toolkit
This is the html version of the file http://www.ibo.org/ibap/conference/archive/documents/SheldonShaeffer-Plenary2AnOverarchingFrameworkforEducationalReform.pdf.
Google automatically generates html versions of documents as we crawl the web.
Google automatically generates html versions of documents as we crawl the web.
Education for Sustainable
Development:
A Framework for
Educational Reform
1
22ND INTERNATIONAL
BACCALAUREATE ASIA PACIFIC
REGIONAL CONFERENCE
SINGAPORE
5 – 8 October 2007
Sheldon Shaeffer
UNESCO Bangkok, Asia and Pacific
Regional Bureau for Education
Development that can:
➢“meet the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs”
Sustainable Development
2
to meet their own needs”
Brundtland Report of the World Commission on
Environment and Development, 1987
Requires:
• Balancing environmental, social, and economic
considerations in the pursuit of development and
an improved quality of life
Sustainable Development
3
• Promoting the ideals of gender equity, just and
peaceful societies, human rights, environmental
preservation and restoration, cultural diversity,
and poverty alleviation
What is Education for
Sustainable Development?
• ESD is a partnership that engages multiple sectors
and stakeholders – including media and the private
sector – and utilises all forms and methods of public
awareness-raising, education, and training to
promote sustainable development.
4
promote sustainable development.
• It encourages people to understand:
➢the complexities of, and synergies among, the
issues threatening planetary sustainability
➢their own values and those of the society in
which they live.
Domains of Education for
Sustainable Development
ESD is about learning rather than teaching. It
therefore requires:
• Reforming the structure and nature of basic
education
5
education
• Reorienting existing education programmes
• Developing public awareness about what
sustainability means
• Building capacity within education systems and
across all other ESD partners
Education for Sustainable
Development (ESD)
Three Pillars of Sustainable Development
• Environment – an awareness of the richness of our
natural resources and of the fragility of the physical
environment
• Economy – a sensitivity to the limits and potential of
economic growth and to its impact on society and on
6
economic growth and to its impact on society and on
the environment
• Society – an understanding of social institutions and
their role in change and development
with Culture – ways of behaving, believing, and acting,
unique to every context, as an underlying and critical
dimension
Human Well-being
Sustainable Development
and ESD
Sustainable
Development
Education for Sustainable Development aims to promote a
balance among the pillars by empowering people through
education -- formal, non-formal, and informal.
Education for Sustainable Development
Good Governance
Model of sustainable development adapted from Somphone (2006)
Environmental Issues
• Conservation of natural resources and
biodiversity
• “Green” consumerism
• Control of climate change
Core Issues
8
• Control of climate change
• Transformation of rural societies and
environments
• Sustainable urbanization
• Disaster prevention and mitigation
Which of these are taught in your
classrooms?
Economic Issues
• Poverty alleviation and a more equal
distribution of income
• Corporate responsibility and
accountability
Core Issues
9
accountability
• A “benign” market economy and fair
trade
• Energy conservation
• Sustainable tourism and land use
And these?
Socio-Cultural Issues
• Fulfillment of human rights
• Peace and human security
• Gender equality
• Good health (e.g., HIV/AIDS prevention)
Core Issues
10
• Good health (e.g., HIV/AIDS prevention)
• Good governance
• Reinforcement of intercultural/international
understanding
• Preservation of cultural and linguistic diversity
And these?
• Interdisciplinary and holistic
• Values-driven
• Focused on critical inquiry, reflective
thinking, and problem solving
Key Characteristics of ESD
11
thinking, and problem solving
• Multi-methodological
• Participatory and collaborative in decision-
making
• Locally relevant
UN Decade of Education for
Sustainable Development (DESD)
2005-2014
VISION
A world where everyone has the opportunity
12
A world where everyone has the opportunity
to benefit from education and learn the
values, behaviours, and lifestyles required
for a sustainable future and for positive
societal transformation.
Objectives of the Decade
• Facilitate networking, linkages, exchanges,
and interaction among stakeholders in ESD
• Foster an increased quality of teaching and
learning in Education for Sustainable
Development
13
Development
• Help countries make progress toward and
attain the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) through ESD efforts
• Provide countries with new opportunities to
incorporate ESD into education reform efforts
The Delors Report:
The Four Pillars of Learning
In order to help modern society cope with the
challenges in the world around it, the Delors
report, Learning: The Treasure Within,
recommended four pillars of learning:
14
• Learning to know – acquiring the
instruments of understanding, or learning
how to learn
• Learning to do – applying learned
knowledge in daily life, to be able to act
creatively and responsibly in one’s
environment
• Learning to be
➢acquiring universally shared values
➢developing one’s personality, self-identity, and
self-knowledge
The Delors Report:
The Four Pillars of Learning
15
➢becoming immersed in one’s own culture and
its wisdom
➢being empowered to learn about oneself and
become more fully human
• Learning to live together – education for international
and inter-cultural understanding
➢ the social dimension of human development
➢ the basis for cohesion and harmony, conflict
avoidance, non-violence, and peaceful coexistence
➢ the recognition that difference and diversity are
The Delors Report:
The Four Pillars of Learning
16
➢ the recognition that difference and diversity are
opportunities rather than dangers and are a valuable
resource to be used for the common good
➢ the ability to tolerate, respect, welcome, and even
celebrate difference and diversity in people and in
their histories, traditions, beliefs, values, and
cultures, and to use this diversity to enrich our lives –
and our classrooms
The Fifth Pillar?
But Education for Sustainable Development
adds a “fifth”, more proactive pillar –
learning to transform society and
change the world:
• to work toward a gender-neutral, non-
17
• to work toward a gender-neutral, non-
discriminatory society
• to act to achieve social solidarity and
international understanding
• above all, to live sustainably
ESD and the Curriculum
• Both the Four (or Five) Pillars and ESD are
concerned with the development of
knowledge and skills, values, attitudes,
and behaviours.
• ESD offers the possibility of serving as a
18
• ESD offers the possibility of serving as a
larger framework for all values-related
education, including inter-cultural
education and global education, human
rights education, citizenship education,
peace education, and moral education.
ESD and the Curriculum
If ESD is seen as a general framework for a
national curriculum and for classroom
teaching, then curriculum developers
should ensure:
• that specific values (e.g., peace and
19
• that specific values (e.g., peace and
human rights education) are included in
an integrated ESD curriculum and/or
• that any stand-alone values subject is
developed in the broader context of
ESD
ESD and the Curriculum
One option, courtesy of Margaret Sinclair:
• clearly-labelled special lessons (e,g,, related
to peace, human rights, active citizenship)
following a cyclic curriculum throughout the
period of schooling
20
period of schooling
• a special earmarked lesson time of not less
than one period per week
• teachers specially trained to use experiential
methods
ESD and Teacher Training
and Development
• Reorientation of pre-service teacher
education curricula (especially in terms of
social science, science, geography, etc.)
towards the core issues of sustainability
• Integration of SD into all relevant subjects
21
• Integration of SD into all relevant subjects
• Development of model ESD teacher training
programmes (pre-service and in-service)
and associated classroom materials based
on innovative ESD curricula and methods
ESD-NET
Aims of ESD-NET
• To identify gaps from an ESD perspective in
existing education curricula and take action to
address these gaps
To assist teacher educators and teacher
• To assist teacher educators and teacher
education institutions s to find locally relevant
and culturally appropriate ways to reorient their
courses toward sustainable development
• To establish a network of action research
projects in teacher education for sustainable
development
International Implementation
Scheme for the DESD
Contents:
• Overview of ESD and the Decade
• Goals and objectives of the Decade
23
• Goals and objectives of the Decade
• Relation to other international initiatives
• Strategies for implementation
• Roles of stakeholders
• Monitoring and evaluation
UNESCO’S Role in
Implementing the DESD
• Building capacity
• Promoting international cooperation
• Leading coordination at the
international level
24
international level
➢Catalyse new partnerships
➢Encourage monitoring and evaluation
➢Encourage research on ESD
➢Bring together important stakeholders
➢Share good ESD practices
Leading Regional Activities
(2005-2007)
Mongolia
Iran
China
Pakistan
India
Cambodia
Vietnam
Japan
Uzbekistan
Kazakhstan
India
Cambodia
Maldives
Thailand
Indonesia
Australia
New Zealand
June 2005, Nagoya, Japan
Asia-Pacific Regional Launch of the Decade of ESD
Pacific Islands
(SIDS)
Build and Strengthen Capacity for ESD:
Moving ESD Forward in the Asia-Pacific
Leadership:
Ministerial
and High-level
Policy
26
Monitoring
and Assessment
Reorienting
Curricula and
Teacher Training
National
Development
Priorities
10th UNESCO Bangkok Conference
December 12-14, 2007
Re-inventing Higher Education: From
Participatory Development to
Sustainable Development
27
Sustainable Development
Check: www.unescobkk.org.apeid
28
UNESCO Bangkok, Asia and Pacific
Regional Bureau for Education
www.unescobkk.org/esd
s.shaeffer@unescobkk.org
This is the html version of the file http://www.unescobkk.org/fileadmin/user_upload/esd/documents/workshops/kanchanburi/shaeffer_key_ppt.pdf.
Google automatically generates html versions of documents as we crawl the web.
Google automatically generates html versions of documents as we crawl the web.
Page 1
|
BEYOND “LEARNING TO LIVE
TOGETHER”: THE KEY TO
EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
Sheldon Shaeffer
Director, UNESCO Asia and Pacific
Regional Bureau for Education
Page 2
|
Premises:
There is not enough values-based
education in the region today.
There are too many values-based
curricula in the region today.
Questions:
What needs to be done to bring some
sense of order to this often confusing
and even competitive situation?
How can schools better reflect and
demonstrate a values-based
education?
Page 3
|
THE CONTEXT OF EDUCATION
IN THE 21ST CENTURY
• A change of the desired development model
➢from economic growth to social cohesion and
human-centred development
• A widening rift between rich and poor and
increasing social exclusion
➢the growing importance of education for poverty
alleviation and social inclusion
Page 4
|
•
Alienation and de-humanisation in the process
of material development
➢the need for humanistic values education
•
The exploding AIDS epidemic
➢the need for better preventive education and
new roles for teachers and schools
•
Rapid changes of economic structures and
labour market needs
➢education for adaptability to change rather than
for specific occupational skills
THE CONTEXT OF EDUCATION
IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Page 5
|
•
The rapid advance of ICTs and the increasing
digital divide among and within countries
➢the role of ICTs to reduce, rather than increase,
disparities in educational access and quality
•
Globalisation
➢ the need to preserve cultural identity and the
“localisation” of the development process
•
An apparent increase in intolerance, violence,
and terrorism
➢the need for inter-cultural, inter-faith education
and education for peace
THE CONTEXT OF EDUCATION
IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Page 6
|
•
Above all, the need to ensure
sustainable development –
development that can:
➢“meet the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs”
Brundtland Report of the World Commission on
Environment and Development, 1987
THE CONTEXT OF EDUCATION
IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Page 7
|
THE DELORS REPORT:
THE FOUR PILLARS OF LEARNING
In order to help modern society cope with the
challenges in the world around it, the Delors
report, Learning: The Treasure Within,
recommends four goals of learning:
• Learning to know – acquiring the instruments of
understanding, or learning how to learn
• Learning to do – applying learned knowledge in
daily life, to be able to act creatively and
responsibly in one’s environment
Page 8
|
THE DELORS REPORT:
THE FOUR PILLARS OF LEARNING
• Learning to be
➢acquiring universally shared values
➢developing one’s personality, self-identity, self-
knowledge, and self-fulfillment – the complete
person
➢in essence, developing wisdom and becoming
immersed in one’s culture
➢empowering people to learn about ourselves
and become more fully human
Page 9
|
THE DELORS REPORT:
THE FOUR PILLARS OF LEARNING
• Learning to live together – what is it?
➢the social dimension of human development
➢the basis for cohesion and harmony, conflict
avoidance, non-violence, and peaceful coexistence
➢the recognition that difference and diversity are
opportunities rather than dangers and are a valuable
resource to be used for the common good
➢the ability to tolerate, respect, welcome, embrace,
and even celebrate difference and diversity in
people and in their histories, traditions, beliefs,
values, and cultures, and to use this diversity to
enrich our lives
Page 10
|
THE DELORS REPORT:
THE FOUR PILLARS OF LEARNING
• Learning to live together – why do it?
➢to cope with situations of tension, exclusion,
conflict, violence, and terrorism
➢to respond constructively to the cultural diversity
and economic disparity found within and across
the region
➢to enable people to live in increasingly pluralistic,
multi-cultural societies
➢to provide a peaceful environment for sustainable
socio-economic development
➢to further the mission of “constructing the defense
of peace in the minds of men”
Page 11
|
THE DELORS REPORT:
THE FOUR PILLARS OF LEARNING
• Learning to live together – how to do it?
➢reformulate policies for systematic education reform –
towards education for social inclusion, conflict
resolution, and mutual understanding
➢emphasise changes in knowledge, skills, attitudes,
and behaviours via changes in educational content,
approaches, and ethics, both in and out of school
➢reorganise curricular contents with a central
emphasis on moral, ethical, and cultural education
Page 12
|
THE DELORS REPORT:
THE FOUR PILLARS OF LEARNING
• Learning to live together – how to do it?
➢retrain and mobilise teachers and school
administrators towards more democratic,
participatory interactions and as role models of
learning to live together
➢create a safe, peaceful, and harmonious
school climate which reflects the ideal of
learning to live together
➢link it with what it taught in homes,
communities, the media, the workplace, and
other informal learning contexts
Page 13
|
EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT (ESD)
Three Pillars of Sustainable Development
• Society – an understanding of social institutions
and their role in change and development
• Environment – an awareness of resources and
the fragility of the physical environment
• Economy – a sensitivity to the limits and
potential of economic growth and its impact on
society and on the environment
with Culture – ways of being, relating, behaving,
believing, and acting which differ according to
context, history and tradition -- as an underlying
dimension
Page 14
|
UN DECADE OF EDUCATION FOR
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (DESD)
VISION
A world where everyone has the opportunity
to benefit from education and learn the
values, behaviours, and lifestyles required
for a sustainable future and for positive
societal transformation.
Page 15
|
Objectives
• Enhance the role of education in sustainable
development
• Facilitate links between stakeholders
• Promote the vision through learning and
awareness-raising
• Foster higher quality of learning
• Develop strategies at every level
UN DECADE OF EDUCATION FOR
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (DESD)
Page 16
|
CORE ISSUES
Socio-Cultural Issues
• Fulfillment of human rights
• Guarantee of peace and human security
• Gender equality
• Reinforcement of cultural diversity and
intercultural understanding
• Good health
• HIV/AIDS prevention
• Good governance
Page 17
|
Environmental Issues
• Conservation of natural
resources
• Control of climate change
• Rural transformation
• Sustainable urbanization
• Disaster prevention and
mitigation
CORE ISSUES
Page 18
|
Economic Issues
• Poverty reduction
• Corporate responsibility and
accountability
• A “benign” market economy
CORE ISSUES
Page 19
|
• Interdisciplinary and holistic
• Values-driven
• Focused on critical thinking and
problem solving
• Multi-methodological
• Participatory in decision-making
• Locally relevant
KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF ESD
Page 20
|
ESD AND THE FOUR PILLARS
• Both are concerned with the development
of knowledge and skills, values and
attitudes, and behaviours.
• Learning to live together – including
between faiths and cultures – is an
essential part of ESD.
• ESD offers the possibility of serving as a
larger framework for all values-related
education
Page 21
|
ESD AND THE FOUR PILLARS
• But ESD, in effect, adds a “fifth” pillar –
learning to transform society and change
the world – i.e., work toward a gender-
neutral, non-discriminatory society; act to
achieve social solidarity; and live
sustainably --
➢to respect and protect the earth and its
environment
➢to adopt behaviours and practices that restrain
and minimise our ecological footprint on the
world around us – without depriving us of
opportunities for development and fulfillment
➢to co-exist and cooperate with nature whenever
possible, rather than always seeking to
conquer it and control it
Page 22
|
TO MAKE VALUES-BASED EDUCATION A
REALITY:
CHILD-FRIENDLY, RIGHTS-BASED SCHOOLS
• Implementing the (now) Five Pillars and
learning about ESD require schools to
reflect and demonstrate the essential core
messages of these two frameworks.
• Their teaching processes and learning
environments, their organisational
structures and personal interactions, must
demonstrate the Five Pillars and reflect
ESD in all of its components.
Page 23
|
THUS, A CHILD-FRIENDLY (RIGHTS-
BASED) SCHOOL…
1. is a child-seeking school
• actively identifying excluded
children to get them enrolled in school
and included in learning
• promoting and helping to monitor
the rights and well-being of ALL
children in the community
Page 24
|
A CHILD-FRIENDLY SCHOOL…
2. is a child-centred school
• acting in the best interests of the child
• leading to the realisation of the child’s
full potential
• concerned about the “whole” child:
health, nutritional status, and well-being
• concerned about what happens to
children before they enter school and
after they leave school
Page 25
|
A CHILD-FRIENDLY SCHOOL…
3. above all, has an environment of good
quality
• inclusive of children
• effective with children
• healthy and protective for children
• gender-responsive
• encouraging the participation of children,
families, and communities
Page 26
|
A CHILD-FRIENDLY SCHOOL…
INCLUSIVE OF CHILDREN
1. Does not exclude, discriminate against, or
stereotype on the basis of difference
2. Provides education that is free and compulsory,
affordable and accessible, especially to families and
children at risk
3. Respects diversity and ensures equality of
opportunity for all children (e.g., girls, ethnic minority
and working children, children with disabilities, AIDS-
affected children)
4. Responds to diversity and meets the differing needs
of children (e.g., based on gender, social class,
ethnicity, and ability level)
Page 27
|
A CHILD-FRIENDLY SCHOOL…
EFFECTIVE WITH CHILDREN
1. Promotes good quality teaching and learning
• instruction appropriate to each child’s learning
needs, abilities, and styles
• active, co-operative, and democratic learning
2. Provides structured content and good quality
materials and resources
3. Enhances teacher capacity, morale,
commitment, status, and income
4. Promotes quality learning outcomes
Page 28
|
A CHILD-FRIENDLY SCHOOL…
HEALTHY AND PROTECTIVE FOR
CHILDREN
1. Ensures a learning environment of good
quality - healthy, hygienic, and safe
2. Provides life-skills based health education
3. Promotes both the physical and the
psycho/socio/emotional health of teachers and
learners
4. Helps to defend and protect all children from
abuse and harm
5. Provides positive experiences for children
A CHILD-FRIENDLY SCHOOL…
RESPONSIVE TO GENDER
1. Promotes gender equality in enrolment and
achievement
2. Eliminates gender stereotypes
3. Guarantees girl-friendly facilities, curricula,
textbooks, and teaching
4. Socialises girls and boys in a non-violent
environment and encourages respect for each
other’s rights, dignity, and equality
A CHILD-FRIENDLY SCHOOL…
ENCOURAGING THE PARTICIPATION OF
CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES
1. Child-centred
•
promotes child participation in school life
2. Family-focused
•
works to strengthen the family as a child’s
primary caregiver and educator
•
helps children, parents, and teachers
establish harmonious, collaborative
relationships
3. Community-based
•
encourages local partnerships in education
•
acts in and with the community for the sake
of children
A CHILD-FRIENDLY SCHOOL…
A school supportive of, and reflecting,
sustainable development:
•
where everyone has the opportunity
to benefit from education and learn
the values, behaviours, and
lifestyles required for a sustainable
future and for positive societal
transformation.
ESCALATE
First report on project
Project proposer: Gina Wisker
Institution: University of Brighton
Project Title: COASTAL: Curriculum Outcomes, And Sustainable Teaching, Assessment, Learning.
Overview
The project aims to identify, share and encourage the uptake of successful models and strategies for embedding sustainable development into the HE curriculum and addresses learning outcomes, assessment and learning and teaching practices.
The project looks to investigate
- The criteria, definitions, examples and models of effective and sustainable development in the HE curriculum
- How HE student SD learning outcomes can be achieved, expressed and embedded through different disciplines and across disciplines, and via community and volunteering opportunities
- How effective models of SD learning can be shared locally and with the HE sectors
Activity undertaken thus far
These encompass 3 components as follows (and are all ongoing)
1. Desk-based research
· Of existing ESD literature to gather together effective examples and models of embedding SD in the curriculum, learning, teaching, assessment and community outreach in local, national and international contexts. Includes papers, references, links, summaries, case studies and literature reviews. The particular focus is on the pedagogy employed.
· Telephone and face to face interviews with staff across the faculties of the University of Brighton to collate examples of good practice in relation to ESD. In addition, good practice identified in other universities, sourced through the literature and email groups such as through EAUC are being compiled.
2. Internal dissemination
· Two community of practice (ESD Interest Group) meetings have been held through which the aims and progress of the project were shared with interested staff and ideas for further improvement considered. These were in addition to a meeting of the Learning and Teaching Forum. Discussions have centred on how teaching staff are integrating, or are intending to integrate, sustainable development considerations into their curricula.
· An Education for Sustainable Development ‘Community’ has been established within the University of Brighton Intra-net. The resources detailed under (1) have been filed, small summaries compiled and this has been piloted across a small number of staff. This is intended to ‘go live’ and be made accessible to the rest of the university mid-way through the project.
3. Development of new case materials
· A number of video recordings have been made of current examples of education for sustainable development activities within the University of Brighton (where students are involved in role play, action learning etc). These have been identified from a number of different disciplinary contexts.
· Interviews have also been conducted with staff and students involved in this learning and teaching. Some of these have been recorded and videoed for the purpose of further analysis and dissemination (see future activities below).
Two focus groups with students exposed to ESD activities have been conducted towards exploring the impact on student learning
Assessment of progress
Progress on the project was slower than expected through this initial period due to the unexpected withdrawal of the identified research officer to conduct their own fieldwork abroad. They were replaced but it took a short while for the replacement RO to take control of the project- this is now successfully underway.
However, it was also evident through the activities detailed under (1) and (2) above, that a sharper focus to the research would also enable it to make a more valuable contribution to the progress of embedding SD in the curriculum, learning, teaching and assessment within the University of Brighton and to further national learning in this field.
The enhanced focus for the project centres around the identification of ESD examples across the disciplines but with an emphasis on pedagogy employed. In addition, dissemination of these examples, it is believed, would be more effective through a range of outlets, and in particular, the development of a wiki-based, interactive web-based platform in addition to the traditional text based report.
It is envisaged that this type of dissemination format will be more effective in engaging lecturers in ESD than just a written report. It will be an opportunity for lecturers to see ESD in action in their own discipline, each example accompanied by sound bites from the students and lecturers involved, explaining how it worked and how it impacted upon the students.
This enhanced focus has led to a new methodology within the project relying considerably more on
· the collection and creation of video clips and photographs of examples of Education for Sustainable Development and
· the collection and creation of recorded interviews with staff and students who were involved in the videoed examples of ESD.
These audio and visual records will be used both as hard data and as dissemination tools within this project, whilst also forming the basis for the future creation of an interactive, multimedia wiki-based website for which University of Brighton and further resources will be sourced. As many disciplines as possible will be represented on this website, each with a number of visual and audio vignettes illustrating the range of pedagogic learning and teaching styles that can support the effective implementation of ESD. Particular focus will be given to community and volunteering examples.
As a result of this new dimension to the project, the Environmental Association of Universities and Colleges have asked to make some formal links with the work we are doing, and are prepared to assist us in identifying examples and resources and in disseminating the findings. They have invited us to attend a national ESD Swap-Shop in which lecturers from all over the country who have conducted successful ESD will come to share their approaches and to learn from each other. Attendees will write up their ESD case studies and submit them to be compiled into a paper publication. It is envisaged that our role in this event will be to make audio and visual recordings of the attendee’s thoughts and reflections on their case studies. These recordings will be edited and compiled to create a multimedia version of the paper publication. They will also be used as to hard date to be analysed for the final report to Escalate.
Defining ESD
The understanding of ESD that we have started out with for this project is in line with the UNESCO definition of ESD, a definition guiding the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development:
‘Education for sustainable development is about learning to:
- respect, value and preserve the achievements of the past;
- appreciate the wonders and the peoples of the Earth;
- live in a world where all people have sufficient food for a healthy and productive life;
- assess, care for and restore the state of our Planet;
- create and enjoy a better, safer, more just world;
- be caring citizens who exercise their rights and responsibilities locally, nationally and globally.’
- respect, value and preserve the achievements of the past;
- appreciate the wonders and the peoples of the Earth;
- live in a world where all people have sufficient food for a healthy and productive life;
- assess, care for and restore the state of our Planet;
- create and enjoy a better, safer, more just world;
- be caring citizens who exercise their rights and responsibilities locally, nationally and globally.’
UNESCO expand on this definition further, including the types of pedagogies, dimensions and skills that should be involved in ESD:
ESD is fundamentally about values, with respect at the centre: respect for others, including those of present and future generations, for difference and diversity, for the environment, for the resources of the planet we inhabit. Education enables us to understand ourselves and others and our links with the wider natural and social environment, and this understanding serves as a durable basis for building respect. Along with a sense of justice, responsibility, exploration and dialogue, ESD aims to move us to adopting behaviours and practices which enable all to live a full life without being deprived of basics.
ESD mirrors the concern for education of high quality, demonstrating characteristics: such as:
- Interdisciplinary and holistic: learning for sustainable development embedded in the whole curriculum, not as a separate subject;
- Values-driven: sharing the values and principles underpinning sustainable development;
- Critical thinking and problem solving: leading to confidence in addressing the dilemmas and challenges of sustainable development;
- Multi-method: word, art, drama, debate, experience, … different pedagogies which model the processes;
- Participatory decision-making: learners participate in decisions on how they are to learn;
- Locally relevant: addressing local as well as global issues, and using the language(s) which learners most commonly use.
ESD mirrors the concern for education of high quality, demonstrating characteristics: such as:
- Interdisciplinary and holistic: learning for sustainable development embedded in the whole curriculum, not as a separate subject;
- Values-driven: sharing the values and principles underpinning sustainable development;
- Critical thinking and problem solving: leading to confidence in addressing the dilemmas and challenges of sustainable development;
- Multi-method: word, art, drama, debate, experience, … different pedagogies which model the processes;
- Participatory decision-making: learners participate in decisions on how they are to learn;
- Locally relevant: addressing local as well as global issues, and using the language(s) which learners most commonly use.
However, this definition is very broad, and in searching for case studies and arranging interviews, we are open to investigating examples that seems to cover any combination of the dimensions and skills listed above.
Summary of emergent findings
Definitions Through interviews with lecturers engaging in ESD, a range of definitions have emerged in relation to the term ‘sustainability’ and ‘sustainable development’ which mirrors the national picture (Robinson and Shallcross 2006) from individual sustainability (mental health) to issues of sustainable theory/practice interaction to environmental concerns. It is intended that this project works towards a cross university debate and clarification around these terms.
Criteria From initial analysis of data there appears a consensus of opinion that, whatever the definition, effective ESD involves a three way interrelationship between theory, experiential learning and personal reflection
Personal reflection
|
Theory
|
Experiential learning
|
These interrelated areas are part of a wider recognition that ‘both formal and informal education are indispensable to changing peoples attitudes’ (Quarrie 1991 p 221). Furthermore, it seems that for teaching to be considered ESD, it must explore the cross over between the social, environmental and economic dimensions of the given discipline. Thus ESD is expressed both in terms of approach to learning and teaching, and as focus or content.
Examples and models of ESD
Based loosely on the UNESCO definition of ESD, Case studies are being investigated across all disciplines, covering a range of pedagogic styles.
Case study 1: Role play exploring project management and community consultation for a fictional geological drilling project
Early work suggests that students find the use of role play and case study-based learning can be an effective approach to ESD, particularly with regards to the requirements of their potential future employers. The demands of employers are increasingly focused on graduates’ ability to consider and deal with multiple real-world factors, environmental, social and economic. An understanding of the narrow discipline alone is no longer enough. Interviews with students suggested a variety of experience. For example, one response was
‘I wish we had had this module earlier on in the course! This kind of insight into the professional world would have been really useful to mention in my recent job applications’
However, another student complained that this module was ‘a complete waste of time’ due to the fact that the learning would be of no use to their final year exams. This suggests that modules like this are always going to be difficult to establish and run if they are not supported by the exam boards. During an interview with the lecturer of this module, he mentioned that ‘often students can’t see the point in this module whilst they are doing it, but tell me later that it has been really useful for their work, post university’
Case study 2: Modules that support a deep approach to learning – Education/Design technology
In this case study the lecturer outlined a new module, introduced this year, to support a module specifically aimed at environmental sustainable development . In previous years on the DT course module 2 required students to design a product with particular reference to environmental issues ( refuse, reuse, reduce, recycle or repair). However assessments revealed that students were not engaging with the task on a deep level and were ‘ticking the boxes’ in order to meet the assessment criteria. To address this new module 1 requires students to assess and identify their own learning needs and take action to address those needs. This has had the impact of encouraging students to take responsibility for and engage with their learning on a deep level. It is hoped that the development of these skills will support the effective embedding of issues of ESD when students tackle module two.
It is intended to interview students when they have completed both modules to analyse the impact on their ESD learning.
Case study 3 – Modules that support community engagement
The Community University Partnership Programme (CUPP) at the university runs a generic module over a range of disciplines including health, Biology/pharmaceuticals, geography and environment, languages and Social Sciences. The module requires students to undertake a period of volunteering in a community organisation in a mutual exchange of skills and knowledge. The placement facilitates students’ identification and matching of their skills to their chosen or anticipated career/employment path. This experience is seen to support students’ reflections around their values and broaden their experience of the diversity of society and the complexity of social/political and economic organisation. This opportunity for experiential learning is recognised to be a key ingredient in the ESD agenda (UNESCO 2004 in Robinson and Shallcross 2006).
Student s within the school of environment have been directly involved in projects relating to the environment (such as support for the RSPB in a local protection area) and as such are also having a direct experience with the environmental strand of ESD. Future plans include taking video footage/photographic stills of these projects to use as a promotional resource both across the disciplines involved and the university at large.
Again it is intended to interview students when they have completed their placement to assess and analysis the impact on students awareness of ESD issues.
Next Steps
· Continue collecting and recording video clips and interviews with staff and students here at University of Brighton ensuring all disciplines covered
· Visits to be made to other universities for the purpose of recording ESD teaching and learning initiatives and interviewing relevant staff and students.
Pursue collaboration with EAUC through which further case studies, examples and video clips will be identified nationally and internationally via their partnership with a number of American Universities
We are continuing to plan appropriate dissemination.
The project team:
Gina Wisker
Jenny Elliott
Poppy Villiers Stuart
Julie Canavan
Bibliography
Robinson and Shallcross (2006) Education for sustainable development in Kaseem et al Education studies: issues and critical perspectives. New York. Open University PP 233-248
Quarrie, J. (Ed) Earth Summit '92 : the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development : Rio de Janeiro , UNCED
4>>http://www.esdtoolkit.org/discussion/default.htm
It is curious to note that while we have difficulty envisioning a sustainable world, we have no difficulty identifying what is unsustainable in our societies. We can rapidly create a laundry list of problems - inefficient use of energy, lack of water conservation, increased pollution, abuses of human rights, overuse of personal transportation, consumerism, etc. But we should not chide ourselves because we lack a clear definition of sustainability. Indeed, many truly great concepts of the human world - among them democracy and justice - are hard to define and have multiple expressions in cultures around the world.
In the Toolkit, we use three terms synonymously and interchangeably: education for sustainable development (ESD), education for sustainability (EfS), and sustainability education (SE). We use ESD most often, because it is the terminology used frequently at the international level and within UN documents. Locally or nationally, the ESD effort may be named or described in many ways because of language and cultural differences. As with all work related to sustainable development, the name and the content must be locally relevant and culturally appropriate.
An important distinction is the difference between education about sustainable development and education for sustainable development. The first is an awareness lesson or theoretical discussion. The second is the use of education as a tool to achieve sustainability. In our opinion, more than a theoretical discussion is needed at this critical juncture in time. While some people argue that "for" indicates indoctrination, we think "for" indicates a purpose. All education serves a purpose or society would not invest in it. Driver education, for example, seeks to make our roads safer for travelers. Fire-safety education seeks to prevent fires and tragic loss of lives and property. ESD promises to make the world more livable for this and future generations. Of course, a few will abuse or distort ESD and turn it into indoctrination. This would be antithetical to the nature of ESD, which, in fact, calls for giving people knowledge and skills for lifelong learning to help them find new solutions to their environmental, economic, and social issues.
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is a difficult concept to define; it is also continually evolving, which makes it doubly difficult to define. One of the original descriptions of sustainable development is credited to the Brundtland Commission: "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987, p 43). Sustainable development is generally thought to have three components: environment, society, and economy. The well-being of these three areas is intertwined, not separate. For example, a healthy, prosperous society relies on a healthy environment to provide food and resources, safe drinking water, and clean air for its citizens. The sustainability paradigm rejects the contention that casualties in the environmental and social realms are inevitable and acceptable consequences of economic development. Thus, the authors consider sustainability to be a paradigm for thinking about a future in which environmental, societal, and economic considerations are balanced in the pursuit of development and improved quality of life.
Principles of Sustainable Development
Many governments and individuals have pondered what sustainable development means beyond a simple one-sentence definition. The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development fleshes out the definition by listing 18 principles of sustainability.
- People are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature.
- Development today must not undermine the development and environment needs of present and future generations.
- Nations have the sovereign right to exploit their own resources, but without causing environmental damage beyond their borders.
- Nations shall develop international laws to provide compensation for damage that activities under their control cause to areas beyond their borders.
- Nations shall use the precautionary approach to protect the environment. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, scientific uncertainty shall not be used to postpone cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.
- In order to achieve sustainable development, environmental protection shall constitute an integral part of the development process, and cannot be considered in isolation from it. Eradicating poverty and reducing disparities in living standards in different parts of the world are essential to achieve sustainable development and meet the needs of the majority of people.
- Nations shall cooperate to conserve, protect and restore the health and integrity of the Earth's ecosystem. The developed countries acknowledge the responsibility that they bear in the international pursuit of sustainable development in view of the pressures their societies place on the global environment and of the technologies and financial resources they command.
- Nations should reduce and eliminate unsustainable patterns of production and consumption, and promote appropriate demographic policies.
- Environmental issues are best handled with the participation of all concerned citizens. Nations shall facilitate and encourage public awareness and participation by making environmental information widely available.
- Nations shall enact effective environmental laws, and develop national law regarding liability for the victims of pollution and other environmental damage. Where they have authority, nations shall assess the environmental impact of proposed activities that are likely to have a significant adverse impact.
- Nations should cooperate to promote an open international economic system that will lead to economic growth and sustainable development in all countries. Environmental policies should not be used as an unjustifiable means of restricting international trade.
- The polluter should, in principle, bear the cost of pollution.
- Nations shall warn one another of natural disasters or activities that may have harmful transboundary impacts.
- Sustainable development requires better scientific understanding of the problems. Nations should share knowledge and innovative technologies to achieve the goal of sustainability.
- The full participation of women is essential to achieve sustainable development. The creativity, ideals and courage of youth and the knowledge of indigenous people are needed too. Nations should recognize and support the identity, culture and interests of indigenous people.
- Warfare is inherently destructive of sustainable development, and Nations shall respect international laws protecting the environment in times of armed conflict, and shall cooperate in their further establishment.
- Peace, development and environmental protection are interdependent and indivisible.
| Sustainability Here are some effective explanations of sustainable development created for different audiences. Sustainable development has three components: environment, society, and economy. If you consider the three to be overlapping circles of the same size, the area of overlap in the center is human well-being. As the environment, society, and economy become more aligned, the area of overlap increases, and so does human well-being. The National Town Meeting on Sustainability (May 1999) in Detroit, Michigan, established that the term "sustainable development," although frequently used, is not well understood. We believe that it means new technologies and new ways of doing business, which allow us to improve quality of life today in all economic, environmental, and social dimensions, without impairing the ability of future generations to enjoy quality of life and opportunity at least as good as ours. The human rights community says that sustainability is attainable through and supported by peace, justice, and democracy. The Great Law of the Hau de no sau nee (Six Nations Iroquois Confederation) says that in every deliberation we must consider the impact on the seventh generation. Economics educators say sustainability is living on the interest rather than the principle. |
From the time sustainable development was first endorsed at the UN General Assembly in 1987, the parallel concept of education to support sustainable development has also been explored. From 1987 to 1992, the concept of sustainable development matured as committees discussed, negotiated, and wrote the 40 chapters of Agenda 21. Initial thoughts concerning ESD were captured in Chapter 36 of Agenda 21, "Promoting Education, Public Awareness, and Training."
Unlike most education movements, ESD was initiated by people outside of the education community. In fact, one major push for ESD came from international political and economic forums (e.g., United Nations, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Organization of American States). As the concept of sustainable development was discussed and formulated, it became apparent that education is key to sustainability. In many countries, ESD is still being shaped by those outside the education community. The concepts and content of ESD in these cases are developed by ministries, such as those of environment and health, and then given to educators to deliver. Conceptual development independent of educator input is a problem recognized by international bodies as well as educators.
Education: Promise and Paradox
Two of the major issues in the international dialog on sustainability are population and resource consumption. Increases in population and resource use are thought to jeopardize a sustainable future, and education is linked both to fertility rate and resource consumption. Educating females reduces fertility rates and therefore population growth. By reducing fertility rates and the threat of overpopulation a country also facilitates progress toward sustainability. The opposite is true for the relationship between education and resource use. Generally, more highly educated people, who have higher incomes, consume more resources than poorly educated people, who tend to have lower incomes. In this case, more education increases the threat to sustainability.
Unfortunately, the most educated nations leave the deepest ecological footprints, meaning they have the highest per-capita rates of consumption. This consumption drives resource extraction and manufacturing around the world. The figures from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Statistical Yearbook and World Education Report, for example, show that in the United States more than 80 percent of the population has some post-secondary education, and about 25 percent of the population has a four-year degree from a university. Statistics also show that per-capita energy use and waste generation in the United States are nearly the highest in the world. In the case of the United States, more education has not led to sustainability. Clearly, simply educating citizenry to higher levels is not sufficient for creating sustainable societies. The challenge is to raise the education levels without creating an ever-growing demand for resources and consumer goods and the accompanying production of pollutants. Meeting this challenge depends on reorienting curriculums to address the need for more-sustainable production and consumption patterns.
Every nation will need to reexamine curriculum at all levels (i.e., pre-school to professional education). While it is evident that it is difficult to teach environmental literacy, economics literacy, or civics without basic literacy, it is also evident that simply increasing basic literacy, as it is currently taught in most countries, will not support a sustainable society.
Thresholds of Education and Sustainability
Consider for instance, that when education levels are low, economies are often limited to resource extraction and agriculture. In many countries, the current level of basic education is so low that it severely hinders development options and plans for a sustainable future. A higher education level is necessary to create jobs and industries that are "greener" (i.e., those having lower environmental impacts) and more sustainable.
The relationship between education and sustainable development is complex. Generally, research shows that basic education is key to a nation's ability to develop and achieve sustainability targets. Research has shown that education can improve agricultural productivity, enhance the status of women, reduce population growth rates, enhance environmental protection, and generally raise the standard of living. But the relationship is not linear. For example, four to six years of education is the minimum threshold for increasing agricultural productivity. Literacy and numeracy allow farmers to adapt to new agricultural methods, cope with risk, and respond to market signals. Literacy also helps farmers mix and apply chemicals (e.g., fertilizers and pesticides) according to manufacturers' directions, thereby reducing the risks to the environment and human health. A basic education also helps farmers gain title to their land and apply for credit at banks and other lending institutions. Effects of education on agriculture are greatest when the proportion of females educated to threshold level equals that of males.
Education benefits a woman in life-altering ways. An educated woman gains higher status and an enhanced sense of efficacy. She tends to marry later and have greater bargaining power and success in the "marriage market." She also has greater bargaining power in the household after marriage. An educated woman tends to desire a smaller family size and seek the health care necessary to do so. She has fewer and healthier children. An educated woman has high educational and career expectations of her children, both boys and girls. For females, education profoundly changes their lives, how they interact with society, and their economic status. Educating women creates more equitable lives for women and their families and increases their ability to participate in community decision making and work toward achieving local sustainability goals.
Another educational threshold is primary education for women. At least a primary education is required before birthrate drops and infant health and children's education improve. Nine to 12 years of education are required for increased industrial productivity. This level of education also increases the probability of employment in a changing economy. Few studies have been carried out on how education affects environmental stewardship, but one study suggests that a lower-secondary education (or approximately nine years) is necessary to intensify use of existing land and to provide alternative off-farm employment and migration from rural areas. Finally, a subtle combination of higher education, research, and life-long learning is necessary for a nation to shift to an information or knowledge-based economy, which is fueled less by imported technology and more by local innovation and creativity (UNESCO-ACEID, 1997).
Education directly affects sustainability plans in the following three areas:
Implementation. An educated citizenry is vital to implementing informed and sustainable development. In fact, a national sustainability plan can be enhanced or limited by the level of education attained by the nation's citizens. Nations with high illiteracy rates and unskilled workforces have fewer development options. For the most part, these nations are forced to buy energy and manufactured goods on the international market with hard currency. To acquire hard currency, these countries need international trade; usually this leads to exploitation of natural resources or conversion of lands from self-sufficient family-based farming to cash-crop agriculture. An educated workforce is key to moving beyond an extractive and agricultural economy.
Decision making. Good community-based decisions - which will affect social, economic, and environmental well-being - also depend on educated citizens. Development options, especially "greener" development options, expand as education increases. For example, a community with an abundance of skilled labor and technically trained people can persuade a corporation to locate a new information-technology and software-development facility nearby. Citizens can also act to protect their communities by analyzing reports and data that address community issues and helping shape a community response. For example, citizens who were concerned about water pollution reported in a nearby watershed started monitoring the water quality of local streams. Based on their data and information found on the World Wide Web, they fought against the development of a new golf-course, which would have used large amounts of fertilizer and herbicide in maintenance of the grounds.
Quality of life. Education is also central to improving quality of life. Education raises the economic status of families; it improves life conditions, lowers infant mortality, and improves the educational attainment of the next generation, thereby raising the next generation's chances for economic and social well-being. Improved education holds both individual and national implications.
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